Can you believe how this year has flown? We are easing into fall with two more resolutions to adopt on our journey to “green up” 2023. Are you ready? 

September: Make Back-to-School as Green as Can Be 

Go easy on the environment by packing waste-free lunches and using “green” ways to get to school such as walking or carpooling. And educators, check out the article below about our Environmental Education Mini Grant program.

October: Thank a Water Worker

Drink up! Water, that is. And give thanks to our hardworking water workers that keep it flowing without fail through the pipes beneath our feet. Imagine a Day without Water, October 19, addresses the importance of maintaining the water and wastewater systems that bring a steady flow of water to keep Hampton Roads humming.

How are you doing? Want to see all the green resolutions you've kept this year? Or... Do you need to catch up? See all our resolutions for the year!

Projects that involve student collaboration are good for building classroom camaraderie, while pupils learn about important topics. Over the past year, askHRgreen.org awarded more than $4,200 from its Environmental Education Mini Grant program to fund nine organized school projects in Hampton Roads.

“It was a productive year in the classroom for creative, green-based learning initiatives,” said Rebekah Eastep, who co-leads the askHRgreen.org public education and awareness campaign. “We love to see students digging into projects, especially when it comes to environmental education.”

Our Environmental Education Mini Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Hampton Roads K-12 schoolteachers, youth leaders and other organizations working with youth can apply now to secure funding for the 2023-2024 school year. Look for details and past projects to pique your imagination right here!

Scenic waterways surround Hampton Roads, from the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay to the rivers, lakes and creeks that flow throughout the region. Let’s do our part to keep our corner of Virginia clean during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), September 16 and continuing all autumn long. 

For more than 35 years, the ICC has galvanized communities worldwide to collect trash that pollutes our waterways, making our shorelines cleaner and our oceans healthier. Marine debris breaks down slowly, and over time, plastic materials, such as plastic bottles, cups and bags, become microplastics that pose a risk to aquatic animals that mistake it for food. 

Small actions can make a significant difference. Check the askHRgreen.org event calendar for organized ICC events near you, or simply head to the nearest beach and conduct your own clean sweep. You can do it!

Now that muggy days are giving way to cool, dry weather, it’s a great time to see what chores are needed to take back your curb appeal. Caring for your lawn sometimes means cutting grass, gathering fallen leaves and adding fertilizer to your soil. When it does, what you do next is critical. 

Don’t rake, sweep, or blow any excess lawn debris and fertilizer into the street. Why? Because wind and rain push it all down the storm drains and into our waterways where it causes blockages, pollution and kills our fish and crabs.

The good news is, there are ways to keep storm drains clean and your lawn healthy at the same time! Check out our good-to-do lawncare practices right here and join us in aiming for “Zero in the Streets!” 

P.S. Be sure to read guest columnist Kendall Topping’s blog post about the beauty and benefits of trees in our communities—from the shade they provide on hot, sunny days to the wildlife they protect in their branches.

Have you seen our guest columns in The Virginian-Pilot? Over the past year, askHRgreen.org team leaders Katie Cullipher and Rebekah Eastep have contributed occasional good-to-do columns addressing everything from “going green” while going on vacation, to tips for composting and planting for pollinators. (But not the bees—see why!) We are thankful to The Virginian-Pilot for this opportunity to share such news in their “Home + Living” section. Catch up on recent columns in our Press Room (scroll to the “columns” section). And be sure to look for more in the days ahead!

Q: What’s green and mean and gunky all over? 

A: The Grease Grinch, and this stinker is not just for the holidays

anymore! 

“The Grease Grinch can visit any time of the year

Because we cook and we clean every day, that is clear. 

Think he was greasy and ghastly before? (Oh, my dear!)  

Take a gander at the All-Season Grease Grinch right here!